Chapter 12 of Hearts of Oak is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Hearts of Oak is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
TOM'S BAPTISM OF BLOOD. "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze. Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG. "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel. "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
Chapter 12 of Hearts of Oak is here in full — 194 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
a Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth
From this reading “TOM'S BAPTISM OF BLOOD.”
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading “Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.”
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading “"Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.”
in a gay manner
From this reading “Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.”
(nautical) the forward edge of a fore-and-aft sail that is next to the mast
From this reading “"Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.”
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading “"Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.”
possessive form of “tom” — male cat
From this reading “TOM'S BAPTISM OF BLOOD.”
seek someone's favor
From this reading “"Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
a Christian sacrament signifying spiritual cleansing and rebirth
From this reading TOM'S BAPTISM OF BLOOD.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading TOM'S BAPTISM OF BLOOD.
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
a heavy, closely woven fabric (used for clothing or chairs or sails or tents)
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
in a gay manner
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
a boy or man
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
(nautical) the forward edge of a fore-and-aft sail that is next to the mast
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TOM'S BAPTISM OF BLOOD.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
any competition
From this reading "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
transport commercially
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
male cat
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
possessive form of “tom” — male cat
From this reading TOM'S BAPTISM OF BLOOD.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "We'll give them a race for it anyhow.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
at the time that
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
which person or people
From this reading "Luff, lad, luff," said the skipper to Tom Bure, who was at the wheel.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Oh, gaily goes the ship When the wind blows free!"--OLD SONG.
seek someone's favor
From this reading "Set every inch of canvas To woo the favouring breeze.
Chapter 12 of Hearts of Oak by Gordon Stables holds 194 sentences, grouped into 39 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 12 holds 194 sentences of Hearts of Oak, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Hearts of Oak by Gordon Stables exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 194 sentences, grouped into 39 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Hearts of Oak by Gordon Stables on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4470 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #75979 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #75979, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 372 minutes of reading across 894 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Hearts of Oak section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 32 chapters of Hearts of Oak to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Hearts of Oak, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
